Συνέντευξη Με Τον Gabriele Fiori Των Black Rainbows / Interview With Black Rainbows' Frontman, Gabriele Fiori
Είναι δημιουργός και μέλος ενός πολύ σημαντικού και σύγχρονου stoner rock συγκροτήματος της δεκαετίας που διανύουμε. Σχηματίζοντας τους Black Rainbows πίσω στο 2005, παράλληλα δημιούργησε την δική του δισκογραφική εταιρεία με το όνομα Heavy Psych Sounds με βάση την Ρώμη στην Ιταλία. Αναφερόμαστε, φυσικά, στον Gabriele Fiori, ο οποίος βρίσκεται πίσω από τα φωνητικά, την κιθάρα και τα πλήκτρα των Black Rainbows. Το συγκρότημα, που είναι αρκετά διάσημο στην stoner κοινότητα, έχει κυκλοφορήσει έξι, φοβερούς, δυναμικούς, rock n' roll δίσκους. Με αφορμή το τελευταίο album των Black Rainbows, που ακούει στο όνομα "Pandaemonium", το περιοδικό Rockabulary βρέθηκε στην ευχάριστη θέση να έρθει σ'επαφή μαζί με τον καλλιτέχνη και να συζητήσει για τα επερχόμενα σχέδιά του συγκροτήματος και τις σκέψεις του.
- Καλησπέρα, Gabriele! Καλωσόρισες στο ελληνικό περιοδικό, Rockabulary. Είναι ωραίο να σ' έχουμε εδώ!
- Γεια σου, φίλη μου! Ευχαριστώ πολύ, που βρίσκομαι στο Rockabulary!
- Πρώτα απ 'όλα, συγχαρητήρια για την κυκλοφορία του έκτου άλμπουμ της μπάντας σου! Το "Pandaemonium" ήταν μια κυκλοφορία - ανάσα για την stoner κοινότητα.
- Ναι, όντως είναι! Ο τελευταίος μας δίσκος κάνει βουτιά στο κλασικό stoner και ταιριάζει απόλυτα στο λεξιλόγιο της λέξης stoner.
- Είναι αξιοσημείωτο να έχεις κυκλοφορήσει έξι, εκπληκτικά, άλμπουμ με τους Black Rainbows και να διαχειρίζεσαι ταυτόχρονα μια δισκογραφική εταιρεία. Ειλικρινά, πώς το κάνεις;
- Για την ακρίβεια, δεν ασχολούμαι με το τελευταίο κομμάτι. 'Εχω δύο συγκροτήματα ταυτόχρονα. Μανατζάρω συγκροτήματα . Ασχολούμαι με πολλά πράγματα την ίδια στιγμή, όλα αφορούν τον προγραμματισμό και την οργάνωση, τα οποία απαιτούν αρκετή δουλειά και είναι δύσκολα. Αλλά, άμα θες να καταφέρεις κάτι, χρειάζεται να δουλέψεις όσο πιο σκληρά γίνεται.
- Ήταν μια δύσκολη διαδικασία για να συνθέσετε και να καταγράψετε έναν δίσκο σαν το "Pandaemonium", δεδομένου ότι υπάρχουν αρκετά stoner συγκροτήματα εκεί έξω στη μουσική βιομηχανία;
- 'Οχι, δεν ήταν! Εννοώ ότι αυτή η σκηνή είναι πολύ ειλικρινής και αληθινή, οπότε όλοι ξέρουμε πως δεν δημιουργούμε καινούρια μουσική. Το stoner είναι, κυρίως, ένας φόρος τιμής προς το παλιό, κλασικό heavy rock, από τους Black Sabbath μέχρι το stoner rock στις αρχές της δεκαετίας του '90. Επομένως, δεν ήταν δύσκολη η διαδικασία της σύνθεσης, ήταν κάτι που συνέβη με φυσικό τρόπο. Το θέμα είναι ότι στα πρώτα έξι άλμπουμ ξέρεις σε ποιο προσανατολισμό θέλεις να πας την μουσική σου, οπότε η κατεύθυνση ήταν εύκολη και το γράψιμο των τραγουδιών συνέβη τελείως έμφυτα. Είχαμε συνθέσει τουλάχιστον 13 τραγούδια και έπρεπε να διαλέξουμε ανάμεσα σ' αυτά. Και υπήρχαν μερικά πολύ καλά τραγούδια, αλλά αυτά που ταίριαζαν μεταξύ τους ήταν εκείνα που μπήκαν εντέλει στο άλμπουμ. Ναι, αυτή τη στιγμή υπάρχουν πολλές μπάντες, πράγμα το οποίο είναι πολύ καλό. Το αγαπάω αυτό το φαινόμενο πολύ. Είναι σαν να υπήρχε μια 'μαύρη τρύπα' για 20 χρόνια και ξαφνικά αυτό το είδος μουσικής, που δεν είναι τόσο δημοφιλής, έγινε απειροελάχιστα πιο γνωστό. Αρκετά γνωστό.
- Πόσο καιρό χρειαστήκατε εσύ και τα υπόλοιπα παιδιά γα να ολοκληρώσετε τις διαδικασίες ηχογραφήσεις σε αυτό το άλμπουμ;
- Πρέπει να ομολογήσω ότι το αγαπημένο μου τραγούδι του "Pandaemonium" ήταν το "Grindstone". Ήταν τόσο Black Sabbath! Αυτό το riff και η φωνή σου ήταν εκπληκτικός συνδυασμός. Πώς το εμπνεύστηκες;
- Στον δίσκο έχουμε, λοιπόν, όπως μπορείς να καταλάβεις, αρκετά διαφορετικά είδη τραγουδιών. Κάποια είναι πιο ευθέως heavy rock, άλλα πιο occult, ενώ κάποια, πάλι, πιο ψυχεδελικό rock. Θέλαμε ν' ανακαλύψουμε μια καινούρια διάσταση, με πιο sludge και πιο χύμα τόνους σε αυτά τα βαριά κομμάτια. 'Επίσης, οι στίχοι, τα φωνητικά, οι μελωδίες και τα οι ρυθμίσεις των οργάνων έρχονται στο τέλος. Ποτέ δεν γνωρίζεις 100%, εάν ένα κομμάτι θα είναι καλό. 'Ισως, νομίζεις ότι θα είναι καλό, αλλά όταν ηχογραφείς τα φωνητικά μέρη και τις συνθέσεις, τότε το αποτέλεσμα δεν είναι ικανοποιητικό. Και μερικά τραγούδια, που πίστευες ότι δεν ήταν τόσο καλά, στο τέλος ακούγονται απίστευτα. 'Ετσι, λειτούργησε και με το "Grindstone".
- Πιστεύεις ότι έχεις καταφέρει να έχεις την επιθυμητή εξέλιξη στον ήχο των Black Rainbows 12 χρόνια αργότερα;
- Ω, ναι, σίγουρα! Αγαπάμε στ' αλήθεια τους Motorpsycho, οι οποίοι εξερευνούν τους ορίζοντές τους και έχουν καλή εξέλιξη. Είναι μια από τις αγαπημένες μου μπάντες, οπότε σίγουρα θέλουμε όσο μπορούμε να πειραματιζόμαστε, πάντα στα πλαίσια της ψυχεδέλειας ή του stoner ήχου. Ακούγεται σαν αστείο, αλλά προσπαθούμε σκληρά, ώστε να μην επαναλαμβανόμαστε κάποιες φορές. Δεν τα καταφέρνουμε πάντα. Μερικές φορές ανακυκλώνουμε τα ίδια σκατά, όχι, όμως, όπως οι Rage Against The Machine.
- Θα υπάρχουν ημερομηνίες στην περιοδεία σας για τα Βαλκανικά Κράτη;
- Ναι, αυτή την περίοδο είμαστε πολύ απασχολημένοι. Αυτή η τουρνέ 'τρώει' σχεδόν όλο μου τον χρόνο, αλλά ζητήσαμε να έρθουμε για συναυλία στην Ελλάδα. Θα θέλαμε ένα σαββατοκύριακο να παίξουμε πρώτα στην Αθήνα μέχρι τα Σόφια, οπότε υπάρχει μεγάλη πιθανότητα να το κάνουμε κάπως έτσι. Δεν ξέρω αν ή πότε, αλλά πιθανό να γίνει φέτος ή του χρόνου.
- Παίξατε στην Αθήνα τελευταία φορά στα πλαίσια του Desertfest το 2016. Σχεδιάζετε να ξανάρθετε για μια ολόκληρη συναυλία;
- 'Οχι, για την ακρίβεια παίξαμε και πέρυσι το 2017. 'Ηταν εκπληκτικό για εμάς, που μας προσκάλεσαν δύο φορές στη σειρά. Τον πρώτο χρόνο παίξαμε σε μια μικρή σκηνή και μας είπαν ότι ταιριάζαμε σαν μπάντα να παίξουμε, επίσης, και το 2017. 'Ηταν κάπως περίεργο το ότι εμφανιστήκαμε και τις δύο χρονιές στο ίδιο φεστιβάλ, αλλά περάσαμε εξίσου υπέροχα και στην δεύτερη χρόνια του Desertfest. Θα θέλαμε οπωσδήποτε να ξανά έρθουμε Ελλάδα, από την Αθήνα, την Θεσσαλονίκη, τα Σόφια, ίσως και την Ρουμανία. Θα δείξει, όμως, αν και πότε θα επιστρέψουμε. 'Ισως, φέτος ή του χρόνου.
- Ω, με συγχωρείς! 'Εχασα τον αριθμό με τις τόσες μπάντες, που έπαιξαν την πρώτη μέρα στο φεστιβάλ (γέλια). Σ'ευχαριστώ πολύ για τον χρόνο σου, Gabriele! Καλή συνέχεια με τις συναυλίες, που θα 'ρθουν!
- Και εγώ σ' ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ! Ευχαριστώ για την καλή τύχη και εύχομαι να δω την συνέντευξη online πολύ σύντομα. Αντίο!
*English Version*
He is the founding member of one of the most important and modern stoner rock band for this decade. Forming Black Rainbows back in 2005, he, at the same time, set up his own record company called Heavy Psych Sounds based in Rome, Italy. We are referring, of course, to Gabriele Fiori, who is the frontman, the main guitarist and keybordist of the Black Rainbows. The band, which is well-known in the stoner community, has released six, awesome, dynamic, rock n 'roll albums. On the occasion of the band's latest release, "Pandaemonium," Rockabulary magazine is pleased to get in touch with the artist and discuss the group's future plans and thoughts.
- Good evening, Gabriel! Welcome to the Greek magazine, Rockabulary. It's nice to have you here!
- Hello, my friend! Thanks a lot for welcome us to Rockabulary!
- First of all, congratulations for the release of your band's sixth album! "Pandaemonium" was a suitable release for the stoner community.
- Yes, it is! Our latest album is really into stoner, maybe it's classic. It really fits in the vocabulary of the word stoner.
- It is remarkable to have six, amazing, albums on Black Rainbows' discography and manage at the same time a record label. Honestly, how do you do it?
- Well, I don't even do this. I've got two bands, I've got a rental agency, I got a lot of stuff going on. Everything is about organization and schedule and a lot, a lot of work. It's very very hard, but if you need to do something, you'll have to work hard.
- Was it a difficult process to compose and record "Pandaemonium", given that there are quite a lot of stoner bands out there in the music industry?
- No, I mean this scene is pretty honest and real, it's true, so everybody knows we are not inventing any kind of new music. It's a tribute to the old classics of heavy rock, from the Sabbath to the stoner rock of the early '90s. So, it was not difficult to compose music, it was natural. The thing is in the first six albums you know where you want to go with your music. The direction was pretty easy and the writing of the songs was pretty natural. We had, like, 13 songs to choose among. And there were song that were good enough, but the ones that fit together were the ones in the record. Yes, at the moment there are a lot of bands, which is good. I definatelly love it. We had, like a 'black hole' for 20 years, and suddenly this type of music is becoming, not so popular, but little popular. Popular enough.
- How long did it take you and the rest of the guys to finish the recording sessions on this album?
- Well, the thing is we were supposed to record this album in July, but unfortunatelly our drummer, that was Black Rainbows' drummer for six years, had a problem with his back and his arm and it was not possible for him to continue playing with the band, at least for a year. So, we decided to thank him a lot 'cause we would like, I would like as a founding member of the band to continue so the time we found Philipo, our new drummer, we started working hard in the summer. We recorded in November, but the target was to release the album in April, so everything was under pressure. In November we recorded the album, just the guitar, the bass and the drums, then we recorded the solo. I had to write down the lyrics and it took me less than one week. I had to record all the vocals. After that I had to record all the synthesizers and the arrangements and some new solos and then we started with the mixing. At the beginning, I was not satisfied, at all, so for me it was a pretty nightmare. I spent, like, the last days of the last year and the first days of the new year really stressed about how the album was becoming. But, at the end we made it, we recorded a good album, artistically, and it was the first time we recorded at a very good studio.
- I have to admit that my favorite song of "Pandaemonium" was "Grindstone". It was SO Sabbath-like! That haunting riff and your voice was an amazing combination. How did you come up with it?
- Well, we have different songs, as you can see, on the record. We have, like, some of heavy - straight songs, occult, we have some psychedelic ones and we wanted to explore maybe this new dimension. Like, more sludge, in your face tunes of heavy songs. Also, the lyrics, the vocals, the melodies and the arrangements arrive, at the end. You'll never know if a song will be good. Maybe, you think is good, but then you record the vocals and the arrangements and it isn't so good. And some of the songs you believed they were not so good, in the end they work so, so good. So, this is "Grindstone".
- Do you think that you have managed to have the desireable evolution on Black Rainbows' sound 12 years later?
- Oh, yes, definatelly! We really love Motorpsycho, which they explore it a lot and they really got a good evolution and this is one of my favorite bands. So, we definatelly want to explore, always in the stoner - psych sounds. It sounds funny. We try different things, sometimes. Not always, the same shit. Not like Rage Against The Machine.
- Will there be dates at your tour for the Balkan states?
- Yeah, at that moment we are really busy with this tour and it's pretty taking a lot of my time. We asked to come and play in Greece and we would like to make it like a long weekend, from Athens to Sofia. And probaly we will do this. I don't know what if or when, but probably this year to the next year.
-Last time you played in Athens was at Desertfest in 2016. Are you planning to come back for a full concert?
- No, we also played in 2017, man! It was very surprising for us to be invited twice, because the first year we played at this small stage and they told us you were a good fit to play, also, in the following year. Which is weird to play twice at the same festival, it was very good for us, so we played at the second edition of the Desertfest. Yes, we would like to come and make it like a short run from Athens, to Thessaloniki, to Sofia and maybe Romania.
-Oh, I'm sorry! I've lost the count with the bands that played at the festival on day 1 (laughs).Thank you so much for your time, Gabriele! Good luck with the upcoming shows!
- Και εγώ σ' ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ! Ευχαριστώ για την καλή τύχη και εύχομαι να δω την συνέντευξη online πολύ σύντομα. Αντίο!
*English Version*
He is the founding member of one of the most important and modern stoner rock band for this decade. Forming Black Rainbows back in 2005, he, at the same time, set up his own record company called Heavy Psych Sounds based in Rome, Italy. We are referring, of course, to Gabriele Fiori, who is the frontman, the main guitarist and keybordist of the Black Rainbows. The band, which is well-known in the stoner community, has released six, awesome, dynamic, rock n 'roll albums. On the occasion of the band's latest release, "Pandaemonium," Rockabulary magazine is pleased to get in touch with the artist and discuss the group's future plans and thoughts.
- Good evening, Gabriel! Welcome to the Greek magazine, Rockabulary. It's nice to have you here!
- Hello, my friend! Thanks a lot for welcome us to Rockabulary!
- First of all, congratulations for the release of your band's sixth album! "Pandaemonium" was a suitable release for the stoner community.
- Yes, it is! Our latest album is really into stoner, maybe it's classic. It really fits in the vocabulary of the word stoner.
- It is remarkable to have six, amazing, albums on Black Rainbows' discography and manage at the same time a record label. Honestly, how do you do it?
- Well, I don't even do this. I've got two bands, I've got a rental agency, I got a lot of stuff going on. Everything is about organization and schedule and a lot, a lot of work. It's very very hard, but if you need to do something, you'll have to work hard.
- Was it a difficult process to compose and record "Pandaemonium", given that there are quite a lot of stoner bands out there in the music industry?
- No, I mean this scene is pretty honest and real, it's true, so everybody knows we are not inventing any kind of new music. It's a tribute to the old classics of heavy rock, from the Sabbath to the stoner rock of the early '90s. So, it was not difficult to compose music, it was natural. The thing is in the first six albums you know where you want to go with your music. The direction was pretty easy and the writing of the songs was pretty natural. We had, like, 13 songs to choose among. And there were song that were good enough, but the ones that fit together were the ones in the record. Yes, at the moment there are a lot of bands, which is good. I definatelly love it. We had, like a 'black hole' for 20 years, and suddenly this type of music is becoming, not so popular, but little popular. Popular enough.
- How long did it take you and the rest of the guys to finish the recording sessions on this album?
- Well, the thing is we were supposed to record this album in July, but unfortunatelly our drummer, that was Black Rainbows' drummer for six years, had a problem with his back and his arm and it was not possible for him to continue playing with the band, at least for a year. So, we decided to thank him a lot 'cause we would like, I would like as a founding member of the band to continue so the time we found Philipo, our new drummer, we started working hard in the summer. We recorded in November, but the target was to release the album in April, so everything was under pressure. In November we recorded the album, just the guitar, the bass and the drums, then we recorded the solo. I had to write down the lyrics and it took me less than one week. I had to record all the vocals. After that I had to record all the synthesizers and the arrangements and some new solos and then we started with the mixing. At the beginning, I was not satisfied, at all, so for me it was a pretty nightmare. I spent, like, the last days of the last year and the first days of the new year really stressed about how the album was becoming. But, at the end we made it, we recorded a good album, artistically, and it was the first time we recorded at a very good studio.
- I have to admit that my favorite song of "Pandaemonium" was "Grindstone". It was SO Sabbath-like! That haunting riff and your voice was an amazing combination. How did you come up with it?
- Well, we have different songs, as you can see, on the record. We have, like, some of heavy - straight songs, occult, we have some psychedelic ones and we wanted to explore maybe this new dimension. Like, more sludge, in your face tunes of heavy songs. Also, the lyrics, the vocals, the melodies and the arrangements arrive, at the end. You'll never know if a song will be good. Maybe, you think is good, but then you record the vocals and the arrangements and it isn't so good. And some of the songs you believed they were not so good, in the end they work so, so good. So, this is "Grindstone".
- Do you think that you have managed to have the desireable evolution on Black Rainbows' sound 12 years later?
- Oh, yes, definatelly! We really love Motorpsycho, which they explore it a lot and they really got a good evolution and this is one of my favorite bands. So, we definatelly want to explore, always in the stoner - psych sounds. It sounds funny. We try different things, sometimes. Not always, the same shit. Not like Rage Against The Machine.
- Will there be dates at your tour for the Balkan states?
- Yeah, at that moment we are really busy with this tour and it's pretty taking a lot of my time. We asked to come and play in Greece and we would like to make it like a long weekend, from Athens to Sofia. And probaly we will do this. I don't know what if or when, but probably this year to the next year.
-Last time you played in Athens was at Desertfest in 2016. Are you planning to come back for a full concert?
- No, we also played in 2017, man! It was very surprising for us to be invited twice, because the first year we played at this small stage and they told us you were a good fit to play, also, in the following year. Which is weird to play twice at the same festival, it was very good for us, so we played at the second edition of the Desertfest. Yes, we would like to come and make it like a short run from Athens, to Thessaloniki, to Sofia and maybe Romania.
-Oh, I'm sorry! I've lost the count with the bands that played at the festival on day 1 (laughs).Thank you so much for your time, Gabriele! Good luck with the upcoming shows!
- Thanks so much to you! And thanks for the good luck and I hope to see the interview online, really soon! Bye - bye!
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